*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[straw man]

Cummins WAG, amazing final day.

England going to have to golf really hard in the next week to get themselves back into this series.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Ramps averaged 27 after 52 Tests...

Yeah but we were just an awful team then and to be fair every time we dropped him he'd go and average 60 odd for Middlesex/Surrey and get picked again. Crawley has the worst record of any opener since Brearley and he only played as he was a brilliant captain. Even Burns is better and that says it all.

 

[social]

Happy for Cummins

Will end up an atg but has suffered a personal tragedy & looked a shadow of himself in India

Still a terrible tactician but will hopefully improve

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

James "Fraud" Anderson

 

[Burgey]

He really is. First opener we've had make runs away consistently in god knows how long and it shows.

Tubby

 

[Burgey]

not only compete with the Aussies but beat them

Ummmm.....

 

[Anil]

Thought the second innings batting was poor from England. Needed 30-40 more runs. No penetration at the death.

Nah they should’ve declared early in the 2nd knock as well, could’ve used that extra time to put more pressure on Warner…opportunity lost.

 

[JustAnotherCluelessPunter]

Australia will kill test cricket with their dire approach.

 

[Line and Length]

An enthralling and entertaining Test. Both Australia and test cricket in general are the winners but England;s approach was the boost test cricket needed.
Looking at the individual players, I make the following observations:
AUSTRALIA
Usman Khawaja - the glue the held Australia's innings together. Proved beyond doubt that he is a class opener.
David Warner - obviously trying hard to extend his career but not the player he was. Still struggles in England.
Marnus Labuschagne - has had more than his share of luck in the past. It ran out in this test.
Steve Smith- never write off a true champion but looked a shadow of his usual dominant self.
Travis Head - an ideal number 5, solid and aggressive but England might have found a way to curtail his influence in the second dig.
Cameron Green - useful runs but appeared underbowled in the second innings. Does what is required of him. Top fieldsman.
Alex Carey - a wonderful match. Showed how a test class 'keeper batsman can influence a game.
Pat Cummins - a match winning contribution with bat and ball in both sides' second innings.
Nathan Lyon - as a bowler he provides extended relief for the quicks. Benefited from some rash shots but took vital mwickets.
Scott Boland - disappointed with the ball but a played an important nightwatchman's role.
Josh Hazlewood - obviously not 100% after a string of missed matches.

ENGLAND
Zak Crawley - has been vulnerable for a number of Tests. A useful first dig that will ensure he holds his spot - again.
Ben Duckett - one half of a mediocre opening pair. Terrible shot in the first dig.
Ollie Pope - England's top 3 don';t inspire confidence but copped a beauty in the second innings.
Joe Root - obvious class but might be overdoing the "bazball" (I hate that term) approach.
Harry Brook - an obvious talent and, like Head, is an ideal number 5.
Jonny Bairstow - an aggresive batsman but do his runs make up for his sloppy keeping? I think not.
Ben Stokes - his approach as captain contributed to a wonderful test. His knee obviously restricts his bowling putting too much on the rest of the attack.
Moeen Ali - hampered by injury and missed chances. Contributed useful runs but the jury is out.
Ollie Robinson - useful contributions with bat and ball without being outstanding.
Stuart Broad - the pick of England's bowlers with valuable top order wickets in both innings.
James Anderson - at 40 he struggled to return to form after an injury enforced break.

Possible changes:
Australia - Starc in for Boland or Hazelwood
England - Wood in for Anderson. Foakes should be keeping with Bairstow moving up the order to replace one of the incumbent top 3. The latter won't happen.

 

[JustAnotherCluelessPunter]

That’s a captains innings from Cummins if I ever saw one. Man what an awesome match! Everything great about Test cricket. That was fantastically fun to watch as a neutral.

Cummins is dire. England were the real winners.

They entertain at least.

 

[morgieb]

This is why ending games on a weekday sucks. I went to bed and missed the end of a cracker.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

*Stokes just ****s his pants in the middle of the pitch, diarrhea running down his leg*

"Are you not entertained? We're saving test cricket!"

 

[Prince EWS]

England were the real winners.

 

[morgieb]

England were the real winners.

You put the clueless in clueless punter.

 

[Prince EWS]

You put the clueless in clueless punter.

That definitely has to be a multi, surely. Said dire twice in the first two posts.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Hearing rumours Stokes just asked for an eclair on the first evening and the team misheard him.

He was surprised by one of Root's shots and said "I do declare" (in a Durham accent, not RP).

 

[Cricket CoachDB]

Cummins is dire. England were the real winners.

They entertain at least.

I know you're on the wind up, but there's definitely something entertaining about back-to-back sixes turning a run chase in a sides favour like today.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Terrific match by Khawaja, he's really showing his class now. That's a good thing about being a batsman tbh, if you don't get it right earlier in your career you can always come good in your 30s and have some memorable contributions

Haven't you heard of Jimmy Anderson?

 

[morgieb]

That definitely has to be a multi, surely. Said dire twice in the first two posts.

Yeah I thought so too.

 

[Shady Slim]

i will and should say - i’ve been as big a warner critic as almost anyone, maybe even the biggest, but those were crucial runs in the second dig and without them we probably lose.
perhaps it is sad when the mercurial davey dubya’s “contribution” to getting us a win in england is a thirty odd and that itself reflects decline but it’s more than smith and marn00s managed combined in both digs; credit.